Angler™ 160 (13'4")

I LOVE MINE!!!

The 1976 Cadillac El Dorado of Fishing Kayaks... absorbs bumps and floats along like big ol road hog, plenty of room aboard, takes up a lot of real estate, & all the small details are made of chinty stuff... Take one for a spin & its hard not to love it for what it is.

I bought mine about 6 years ago for just under $400 NEW @ Ocean State Job Lot (a New England discount store chain). I wasnt sure about it at first, because the accessories are kinda chintzy..., but after looking it over, I was impressed. The actual design/layout and hull thickness/material is fantastic, plus its made in either the USA or Canada.

Is it perfect?, No, but what actually is??

This thing's a tank!!! Hull thickness is pretty thick for a kayak, so its a bit heavy... Its also a bit awkward to handle, due to the length and width. Paddling on it similar to a canoe, BUT unlike a canoe, its an incredibly stable platform. Hauling it could be a big problem if you have a small car. I haul mine in the 6.5" bed of my Chevy and GMC pickups, using a homemade PVC pipe kayak carrier, in conjunction with a modified "bed extender" from Harbor Freight,(mounts in the trailer hitch & I added LED side, rear, & reverse marker lights that plug into the trailer harness).

The more expensive "outfitted" kayaks feature all kinds of cool things, but they leave little room for modifications and upgrades, especially if you don't like a "stock" accessory design or placement. Whoever the designer for the Future Beach 160 is/was, this design & layout was well thought-out from an angler's perspective. Design features, such as a rear notchout for a trolling motor/ tiller/ anchor set-up; spare rod holders on each side; a raised & angled flat spot between your knees to surface mount an active rod holder &/or fish finder; two cup holders; a bait/tackle/fish workbench; forward & aft dry storage/air bladder compartments; a mid-rear molded section, (behind seat), specifically to hold either a cooler, or 18.75" x 13"x 11" milk crate, or 13"x 13"x 11" milk crate + gear, or 5 gallon bucket + gear,...plus there's an additional slot to hold a tacklebox or other gear, (can stow quite a bit of gear on this aft deck).

Some of the stock accessories are of subpar quality, but its a value tradeoff that leaves lots of room for upgrades and modifications. In the end, they save on production costs and buyers save on "the total cost" of their wants & needs.

I was able to fully-equip my kayak w/ everything I wanted for less than $1200 total, including the kayak purchase.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: Due to the kayak's color and shallow deck height, you are not easily visible to boaters and jetskiis in this kayak. Not wanting to get killed, I added some Orange-colored accessories and a marker flag to mine so I'm much more visible to oncoming boaters and jetskiis...

MY ADDITIONS:

Marine-grade stainless steel eyelets to replace the stock rubber ones, Marine-grade stainless steel cleets (for docking/anchoring), Orange 550 paracord to replace the stock bungees (strength & visibility), "Scotty" rod holder and fish finder rigs, Orange "Farmplast" milk crate (USA Made + visibility), Orange marker flag (visibility), Stock backrest w/a quality-made gel & foam seat pad (stadium type).

PROs:

- Price: if you shop around, you can find one reasonably priced.

- Stability: Dihedral hull design makes it incredibly stable... I can stand on mine. Unless you have some kind of leverage, its impossible to flip it over while sitting in it.

- Durability: Its a Tank.

- Design: its laid out with owner modifications in mind. Plenty of great mounting surfaces.

- Storage: more room than you could believe for a kayak. You could easily pack a small tent and gear to set up camp and fish someplace.

- Inside hull stays dry if you silicone seal every mounting location, including the factory accessory points.

- Excellent Fishing Platform.

CONS:

- Out of Production, some new ones still for sale if you hunt around. (Ocean State Job Lot still has a few).

- Surface Color... Horizon to Waterline Visibility is Poor to oncoming Boaters and Jetskiis. "Beige" and "Drab Olive" are great camouflage for hunting and fishing purposes, but you're practically invisible in a lot of weather conditions to the half-drunk boater or Jetski rider blasting top speed towards you. Add High Visibility Colors and a Flag to your Deck!!@

- Handling; In and Out of the Water: the "Angler 160" means 160 inches long or 13.4 ft... its comparable to paddling in a good canoe, vs a typical kayak. Turning rate is decent, but she doesn't stop on a dime unless you really dig hard. (A bigger blade paddle is helpful). Paddling into a strong wind is a PITA, just like a canoe, which Requires weight transfer to the nose and lots of paddling/course corrections. Hauling it around on/in a vehicle and over to the shoreline is also like a canoe, (weight & length).

- Stock Accessories: Cheap-grade rubber eyelets & non-sealed holes, (not a big deal considering overall ability for upgrades and modifications).

Respectfully Submitted, Brother Al

I just purchased this from Ocean State Job Lot in Walpole, NH. I have other Future Beach kayaks and love them so my rating is based on previous experience with other FB yaks as well as the design and layout and quality of the Angler 160. With the same hull design, features, balance and roominess, I just know that this is a five star yak. I didn't need this boat, However, it cost me $450 and came with a $350 Crazy Deal store shopping card. Since I shop regularly at the joblot, I jumped on that offer. I thought I got a bargain when I bought the FB Express 10'4" for net $139. This deal however is almost unbelievable at net $100 and may still be available. I don't fish but I do camp and this boat has the room and can handle the weight. My friend said I could always sell it. Are you kidding I said, I'm going to enjoy it to the max. Thank you Future Beach and Ocean State Job Lot, I don't even look much at other stores or brands of kayaks lately. Two members of my family have received new FB kayaks this year. If they keep having these deals, several more members of my family may be getting boating upgrades.

I do highly recommend this kayak. For the money you just can't beat it. Quality seems very good.

The Angler 160 is a great fishing platform, real stable, I clock in around 230-35 lbs depending on whether it's before dinner or after and I have no problem at all standing in this yak and tossing a fly or spinner.

It's not real fast but I didn't buy it for racing, just fishing. It's heavy for a Yak, 74 lbs, that's the only real drawback about it overall. I own a truck so I don't have to fight to get it loaded, unloaded but I would not want to car top this Yak, could be a real pain in the back, etc.

It's made for a large angler (xxxl) and has the weight capacity of over 400lbs. Two flush rod holder, up-front scotty rod holder, seat, two 6" dry storage and bungee straps on the side... it's ready to be on the water.

I am 5'10" and 230lbs and this kayak handles me and all my gear without a problem. It tracks true, and I seem to be able to generate some good speed, even though the boat is large and wide. I've paddled out of the mouth of a river into large ocean surf and had no problems. My favorite feature is the stability. I have no trouble turning and kneeling on the seat to reach gear in the rear well, or kneeling in the cockpit to get items in the front hatch. I have landed a 27# striped bass and the boat felt solid as a rock. The smaller hatches, once I sealed them with silicone, are fairly watertight, even when taking waves over the cockpit. The rear well is great for holding a milk crate and or a 5 gallon bucket.

This boat is definitely for a larger paddler. The ONLY reason I would not give it a ten is due to the difficulty transporting it. I would consider myself very strong, and I struggle to get this boat on the roof of my truck alone, but I don't mind a little extra effort since I get the stability I need.

Overall, this is a fantastic fishing platform, and you won't find a better value, trust me I tried.